You Can Let Go Now, Daddy
by DrawnInTwilight
Summary: How certain Fred, Bill, and Ginny Weasley cope with a few of life's changes. Based on the song by Crystal Shawanda and in honor of relationships between fathers and daughters. AU (seeing as Fred's alive and has kids). Rating due to character passing.


"_Wind blowin' on my face_

_Sidewalk flyin' beneath my bike_

_A five year-old's first taste_

_Of what freedom's really like_

_He was runnin' right beside me_

_His hand holdin' on the seat_

_I took a deep breath and hollered_

_As I headed for the street_

_You can let go now, Daddy_

_You can let go_

_Oh, I think I'm ready_

_To do this on my own_

_It's still a little bit scary_

_But I want you to know_

_I'll be ok now, Daddy_

_You can let go_..."

At a large house in the country, tucked back from the road and surrounded by plenty of trees on two sides while an ancient rock wall guarded a third and a wrought iron gate fence spanned the fourth, so entirely over grown with roses that it was impossible to see through to the yard beyond. But in the back yard, somewhere between the trees and wall, two seven year olds (identical down to the random freckle on their right ears) had been sporadically racing each other for the past hour. Though not on foot.

These two weren't your typical children. And wizards scarcely held foot-races. Instead the two gingers were on low-flying broomsticks, belated presents from their uncle in America, only pausing in their races to pull tricks and pretend to dive-bomb invisible villains. Which they'd started an hour after their Dad had showed them how to avoid grapefruit-sized balls that flew with minds of their own. And that was only two hours after Dad had found out what the boys' uncle had sent.

But when the day hit noon, their fun was doomed to come to an end as Dad came strolling out into the yard again. "Boys? Your mother's taking you to Granny's for lunch!"

Fred Weasley's announcement was met with theatrical cries of despair, followed by dramatic death scenes upon broomsticks as the two carrot-topped boys returned to earth. Fred laughed, then applauded as the twins feigned unconsciousness.

"C'mon, boys," he said, stepping over to them, nudging Garret with his foot. "Your mother and big sister are waiting."

Still neither warranted a response.

The old prankster smirked. "Alright, guess I'll just have to send these corpses along," he said with a sigh. "Oh well, at least Mum'll have the chance to fit them for their Christmas jumpers easier."

"NO!" The boys were up with a yelp and running like mad.

Grinning at their attempt to get away, Fred quickly cast a levi-corpus spell that hoisted his sons into the air, where they continued to try running even as they floated closer to him.

"I admire your dedication," he informed them both, still grinning. "But _I_ grew up at the Burrow-the least you two can do is spend a few hours letting your grandparents suffocate you."

More groans of agitation and faking death came from the floating seven year olds, but it didn't stop Fred from floating them back into the house and depositing them on the parlor couch.

In a nearby rocker, his ten year old turned her head towards them and smiled. "Mum!" she shouted, her unseeing blue eyes glittering with mischief. "The boys are in!"

"Thanks, Ophelia," the twins groused, which only made her smile bigger.

"Are they?" Barely a beat passed before Jasene Weasley appeared at the bottom of the stairs, just finishing her attempt to pin back her golden hair. Her eyes scanned the room until she spotted the twins, then she cast Fred a relieved smile, which turned just as mischievous as her daughter's as she turned back to her sons. "Nice try, boys."

The twins exchanged glances, both pouting at their predicament.

Jasene smirked and turned to Fred again, giving him a quick kiss-though he tried to hold onto her longer. "For later," she told him, pulling away with a grin, then her eyes darted toward the stairs. "Sierra's still asleep, that remedy really knocked her for a loop, but if she wakes up while we're gone, just... find away to entertain her without blowing up the house, okay?"

"What about the shed?" Fred asked innocently.

His wife made a face at him and rolled her eyes. "As long as you can rebuild it before I get back," she said and gave him a kiss on the cheek before turning to their kids. "Alright, troops, to the fireplace! I need to be back in time to make your uncle's birthday cake."

"Use magic," Felix suggested grumpily as he and his twin pushed themselves up off the couch to plod across the room.

Jasene laughed as the boys led their older sister towards the fireplace. "You can't use magic for everything!"

"Why not? Dad does!" Garret pointed out.

"Oh no he doesn't," Jasene said, glancing back at the man in question with a devious grin. "Even though he's tried."

"Huh?" the twins frowned at her in confusion as their father's ears turned red.

"Never you mind," Jasene said, turning them toward the fireplace again as she took down the floo powder. "Besides, if I was going to use magic for everything, you two would be charming little angels who enjoy cleaning their room. The Burrow!"

As the flames burst forth with a green glow, Jasene gave the twins a light push forward. Another handful of the powder sent Ophelia walking through the green flames and then Jasene followed with a wink and a smile, leaving Fred grinning like an idiot in an empty room.

He stayed like that for a while, then looked around. Wondering what to do with himself. George and his wife lived in the second half of the large country house along with their two boys and daughter, but that half of the house was quiet today as George and his family were visiting the in-laws for some big anniversary party.

Without much of anything else that he could possibly do, Fred heated up a pot of tea and set himself up to enjoy the strangely quiet Saturday by wandering around the house, thinking of more inventions that he and George could tackle as soon as he got back from Boston. Without either of his "better halves" there, he'd most certainly blow up the house. And considering he had a sick kid upstairs, that was probably a bad idea. Maybe he should go visit Lee Jordan. No, wait, couldn't do that. He wasn't sure who, but someone was sure to kill him if he took Sierra visiting or left her behind.

Luckily, Jasene knew her stuff when it came to healing and medicinal arts. Their daughter would be right as rain in a matter of hours-that much he was sure of. _Un_fortunately, that left nothing to do. And a bored Weasley was a bad idea.

He was almost tempted to try fiddling with that muggle contraption his wife had bought-a large moving and talking picture that could change when you pressed buttons on this big flat piece of plastic and wires. But just as he reached for that strange form of wand he heard the small noise of a step creaking.

"Daddy?" a little voice called out and Fred Weasley looked up to find his youngest child, clad in her pink cotton nightgown, looking at him from the stairs with her teddy bear. Her round little face was peeking through the railing and her large blue eyes only held the slightest hint of fever. She wasn't quite tall enough to see over the rail yet, though her mess of dark red curls belied her height and stood above it.

Fred smiled and traipsed over to the stairwell. "Yes, Peanut?" he asked, leaning forward so his nose touched hers, making the little girl smile. "Feeling better, are we?"

Sierra nodded, her button nose not leaving his.

"Would you like some lunch?" he asked.

His little girl's smile broadened and she nodded again.

Fred grinned as he pulled away to let her walk down the rest of the steps. "Alright then," he said as he watched her bouncy step. "What would you like? Cereal? Oatmeal? Granny's soup? Left overs?"

Sierra got to the last step and wrinkled her nose at him.

"Well?" he asked, taking her small hand in his as they walked off toward the kitchen.

"Cheese toasty!" the five year old announced.

None too surprised, Fred laughed and gathered her up to quickly deposit her on one of the stools lining the central kitchen counter. "Cheese toasties it is!"

"Yay!" Sierra cried out in delight as she situated herself on her perch, setting her bear on the seat next to her.

Fred chuckled to himself. Of all the times he'd dreamed of having kids, he'd never actually envisioned daughters. When Ophelia was born he'd been in a near panic-and only managed to keep from fully wigging out because George and Melissa had welcomed Kimmy into their lives barely two months before hand. Even then, though, he'd been on pins and needles and awkward as a gnome riding a mongoose as he tried to work out how to be dad to a girl. Luckily, even after being struck blind during the final battle, which she shouldn't have been at, Ophelia had been a very patient teacher even if she hadn't known it.

Sierra was different, Fred observed as he half focused on toasting the cheese sandwiches. She was very girly, loving pinks and ruffles and dresses and dolls (all of which Fred and his sons abhorred), but at the same time she had the command of an empress and enough spunk to her to challenge the twins sometimes. He smiled as he dished out the toasties and Sierra's face lit up, she had so much of her mother in her.

"Well now," Fred said as they polished off their sandwiches. "What shall we do until Mummy returns?"

"Fly," she said decidedly, dusting the crumbs off her hands.

Fred blinked at the little blue eyes that waited for his response. He was stumped. He'd expected to be dragged off for imaginary tea and feather boas for the remainder of the day- something Harry had recently warned him about-but flying? They'd tried that before, about a month ago, with rather poor results...and lots of tears.

"Uh, what brought this about?" he asked warily.

Sierra took to fussing with her bear as a sheepish blush took over her cheeks and responded in a nearly too quiet mumble, "So I can hit bludgers, too."

"Oh." He suddenly felt a new burst of love for his daughter. She wanted another go on a broom. She wanted to play Quidditch. And she'd fooled her mother into thinking she'd been asleep instead of watching her brothers fly. A feat his children couldn't always pull off.

When she looked up again, Sierra must have taken his lack of response and odd expression as a rejection. Because instantly her stubborn streak kicked in. She sat taller in her chair and jutted her little chin out. "I can do it this time!" she insisted. "I could fly faster than Felix and Garret-and Kurt and Brendan too!"

And suddenly he was grinning like an idiot for the second time that day. Well...Jasene had said anything so long as he didn't blow up the house, right?

"Alright... Who's broom is this?" Fred asked twenty minutes later as they stood in the middle of the back yard.

"Garret's," Sierra announced, then pointed to a long scrape on the end. "He chinked it on the railing on the porch."

"Ah." Yeah, that sounded about right. That particular twin in the set seemed to have his head in the clouds most of the time. "Well, he won't notice anything else off about it, then," he said and ruffled her curls, making his little girl giggle. "So, you ready?"

She nodded eagerly, then looked at him with a frown. "Why do I have to wear over-alls?" she asked, pulling at the button where her left shoulder strap hooked onto the chest area. "Mummy says you know you're the master of something when you can do it in a skirt."

Fred smirked, so they were back to this already? "Yes, well, of the few areas that your mother and I disagree," he said kneeling down so they were nose-to-nose. "This is one of them. When she gets home, _she_ can teach you how to fly in a skirt, but right now those-uh-over-alls are the best things for the job. Now, c'mon, Peanut! Onto the broom!"

With another eager nod and a winning smile, Sierra swung a leg over the broomstick. Then she paused, looking up at him and lightly chewing her lip. A distinct look of worried memories in her eyes. "You won't let go, right?"

He smiled and leaned down to kiss the top of her curls. "Nope," he promised. "I'll hold on extra tight. Okay?"

A smile spread across her face. "Kay!"

Fred gave her another kiss then tried to situate her, which wasn't as easy as he'd thought. She was a wiggly little thing and clearly had Jasene's issues with balance, but soon they were running circles around the yard.

He ran alongside her, holding onto the broom and the overalls, as his little girl shrieked with giggles. "See?" he asked with a smile. "Pretty easy, right?"

The head of curls bobbed vigorously in agreement and her little face turned to grin up at him. Fred noted the bright pink in her cheeks and the extra shine to her eye-the kid's fever was still there and Jase might try to kill him when she got back. _Perhaps it's time to convince Sierra to go back inside..._

"You can let go now, Daddy," Sierra's voice broke through his attempts to think up an excuse to leave the yard.

"What?" he asked, blinking.

"You can let go," she said, her face set with determination. "I think I'm ready to do it on my own."

"I-y-wh-now?" Fred paused to inwardly curse his sudden inability to find words. He'd been the king of snappy comebacks during school. What the heck happened?

His daughter nodded in response.

"Are you sure?" he asked warily, though he could feel her willing the broom to go faster than he was allowing. Hadn't she crashed her first time going solo? And hard? Even when the twins were younger and they landed that badly, they'd avoid doing it again for at least a few days.

She was thinking on it. He could see the calculations going through her mind. Maybe he'd be lucky and she'd-.

"It might be a little bit scary," she admitted, but she looked up at him with a maturity that he almost couldn't believe. "But I'll be okay now, Daddy. You can let go."

He'd swear later that it was out of shock. That his grip merely slipped. That he hadn't consciously let his five year old take off on her own. But he did.

Off she rode with a squeak of delight, zooming down the driveway to it's gate, then looping back around past the trees. The kid was a natural and, even if his wife found out and locked all brooms away for the next three years (or at least tried), Fred could honestly say that he'd never been prouder of his little copper-curled peanut than he was right now.

_**A/N:**__ This goes with some sketches I did ages ago on dA! And I'd started writing this back then too lol just kinda hadn't been able to fully iron things out till now. Anyway, here's a look into the life of Fred Weasley (via my AU). Namely because I hadn't written a father story for him yet. *shrug* Anyway, if you've seen the sketches, you know what's up next! Hopefully I'll have that ironed out soon! :D Song = Crystal Shawanda_


End file.
